Never Touch an Emperor's Goddaughter
by Trafalgar Neo
Summary: One sure way to ensure a quick and painless, or maybe extremely painful, death is to drug, capture, and torture an emperor's goddaughter. (short story)
1. Taken for Experiments

Taken for Experiments

Neo stretched out her tired, achy body in the warm sun before looking out at the island. Her eyes landed on a welcoming sign just passed the harbor. "Welcome to Starfish Island. Starfish? What an odd name for an island."

"Not necessarily," Bepo said.

Neo glanced back at the navigator as he walked up to her side.

"This island is known for the all the starfish that are in the shallows," Bepo said. "Also because the starfish get washed upon the beaches during storms."

"Poor starfish," Neo said. Tears gathered in her eyes at the thought of helpless starfish lying around on the beach.

"Don't worry," Bepo said. "I hear the people here will take time to put the starfish back into the ocean once the storm has gone."

"That's great." Neo smiled. Her hand fell to her rounded stomach. "I'm glad. I was getting emotional again."

"I'm glad we're finally getting to get off the sub." Shachi walked over and slumped onto the railing as the sub pulled up next to the docks. "We've been on this thing for over a month without dry land."

"Give it a break, Shachi," Penguin said joining them. "You're only interested in looking for women."

"Like that wasn't on your mind." Shachi glared.

"Just shut up!" Penguin said. "I don't think about sex like you do!"

"I'm ready to get time away from you people." Tero walked out on the deck, a scowl was on his face. "You two have been arguing like crazy these past few days. It's gotten far beyond annoying."

"We have not!" Shachi and Penguin said before glaring at each other again. "Stop saying what I'm saying!"

"Oh dear." Neo pressed a hand to her cheek. "The crew has been arguing a lot more lately."

"Then it's a good thing we're taking a break here," Topaz said.

"And from the sound of it," Kailen then said, "we're making this stop at the right time."

"Indeed," Healer Zinnia agreed. "I was on the verge of sedating some of them just to get some peace."

Neo looked at her fellow elementals before looking back at Penguin and Shachi. The two best friends had gotten into another scuffle with each other. This one would make their sixth one since breakfast. Summoning an earth crystal she threaded out two vines and pulled the two friends apart. "Okay. That's enough fighting. I order you two to take some time away from each other. That means you two are to sleep in separate rooms and try avoiding going to the same places at the same time for a while. Am I understood?"  
"Yes, Neo," Shachi and Penguin said.

"Such good boys." Neo released them.

"Any other orders you plan on giving _my_ subordinates?" Law walked out of the sub, sword resting on his shoulder, free hand in his pocket, and a cocky smirk on his lips.

Neo smiled and turned to Law. "Law!"

Once close enough Law kissed her. "You're cute when you give orders."

"I know." Neo's smile grew.

"Just take it easy while you're out having run, Princess," Healer Zinnia said.

"I will," Neo said. "Are you coming or are you going to stay on the sub?"  
Healer Zinnia looked to the island. "I think I would like to come as well. Ikkaku has invited me along to do some shopping with her."

Neo nodded. Without another word the pirates left the sub. She walked hand in hand with Law as they made their way to a hotel. After renting enough rooms for everyone who chose to stay there instead of the sub, they all split up and headed in different directions. "Think the crew will behave now?"

"They should," Law replied as he rubbed his thumb in circles over her hand.

Neo watched the people carefully, making sure they didn't get too close and touch her. But she didn't have to worry. Law made sure to pull her away from the people if any of them started to get too close to her. Soon the chatter of the town, and the houses and stores faded away from them. They were replaced with the revitalizing smells of the forest. Birds sang to them as they passed under the canopy of the trees. "It feels so good to be back out in nature."

"I could tell you were getting a bit sluggish," Law said. "And your wings are a bit tense as well."

"And that's why we're out here." Neo smiled and summoned her wings. She gave them several flaps as they walked along. "Much better. You always know exactly what I need."

Law squeezed her hand with a smile.

"I think Cora's enjoying the walk too." Neo rubbed her growing stomach. "He's kicking me."

"Well, as long as he doesn't kick too hard." Law brushed his fingers over her stomach. "Hear me, young man? Don't wear out your mommy."

Cora's kicking settled down.

Neo rolled her eyes.

"What? It's good to let them know whose boss at an early age," Law said.

"That was just a coincident," Neo said.

Law chuckled and continued walking. They walked long after the sun had set before heading back to the town. As they continued with their date, he took her to a nice restaurant before retiring back to the hotel for the night.

"Today was so wonderful." Neo stretched out on the bed, her body relaxing from the long day of walking around. "And now I'm sleepy."

"Then rest," Law said.

"Only if you lay down with me." Neo patted the bed beside her.

"Very well then." Law propped his sword up against the wall, dropped his hat on the nightstand, shoved off his boots, and laid down beside her.

Neo snuggled against his warmth. "Much better."

With one arm around her he ran his other hand through her hair as she drifted off to sleep. Once she had completely relaxed against him he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to wash over him as well.

…

He smiled as he watched the visuals the transponder snails were giving him. The people inside of the hotel were just about to fall completely asleep. His eyes locked onto the only one in the building with blue hair. Trailing a finger over the screen he said, "Yes. Soon you will be mine. And soon I will learn all of your secrets, _Princess_ Neo."

"Are you sure about this?" the only other one in the room asked. "Can't she over come the gas?"

"You worry far too much, Lita," he said. "She's not indestructible. As you can see for yourself she's falling asleep as easily as everyone else."

"Or that could just be her being tired from being pregnant," Lita said. "She did laid down soon after they got back from their walk."

The man shot her a glare. "Just shut up." He turned back to the screen. A mere two minutes later everyone in the hotel was completely asleep. He packed up his gear and turned to his assistant. "Take my equipment to the ship and meet me at the back of the hotel."

"Yes, sir." Lita nodded.

The man got up and left the room. Stepping out into the rising moon, he adjusted his collar before heading down the darkened street. The few people that were still lingering in the streets ignored him. Why shouldn't they? Dressed in normal clothes he looked like a normal citizen who lived on the island. No one knew what he was planning. The very thought of it made him smile. His smile only grew when he reached the hotel. He stepped inside and placed a small mask over his mouth and nose to keep from breathing in the linger gas then headed up the stairs. He passed by the doors until he got to the room he was looking for: Room 214.

Rubbing his hands together, as if to warm them, before reaching into his pocket for his lock picking kit. Unlocking the door he stepped inside. They were asleep on the bed like he knew they would be. Chuckling he walked over, slipped his arms under Neo's unconscious form, he lifted her from the bed and Law's side. Swiftly, he left the hotel. Only this time he went through the back door.

"Success, I see," Lita said as she held the door open for him.

"Indeed." His lips curled into a bright grin.

"Dr. Cain, you are completely consumed by tunnel vision," Lita said. "Kidnapping a former warlord's wife, the ruler of a magical race, and the goddaughter of an emperor. That is a death sentence. And a painful one."

Cain scoffed. "Just shut up and do your job, Lita. And that does not include critiquing me."

"Yes, sir." Lita nodded.

The two figures rushed through the dark allies. Moving along like thieves in the night, they moved through the town until they got to the harbor. The only noise was the creaking ships swaying on the ocean. There they climbed into their own submarine, cleverly painted brown so at a quick glance anyone would see another ship. They rushed aboard. "Lita, submerge."

"Yes, sir." Lita's boots clunked on the floor as she moved to the control room.

Cain turned down the opposite hall. Reaching the medical bay he placed Neo down on the exam table. His fingers stroked over her hair and skin. "Finally. In just a few hours we'll be at my lab. Then, finally, I'll be able to see how you work. I can't wait. Don't worry, my dear. I'll be sure to take very good care of you."

The sub hummed to life. As he stared at Neo he could feel the sub moving away from the harbor. A minute later Lita announced over the voice pipe she was taking the sub under the water. Successfully submerged the sub increased sped.

…

"Hm?" Shanks hand paused midair as he brought his mug up to his lips. Confused he knitted his eyebrows. Leaning back against a log, he looked out towards the ocean. He could feel her passing by. Yet she made no attempt at contacting him. Worry washed over him when she didn't respond to his own calls.

"What is it, Captain?" Lucky Roo asked. The crew paused in their own drinking to look at their captain. The wind stilled. The birds stopped chirping. Nature had gone completely silent.

"It's Neo," Shanks said.

"What about her?" Benn asked, lowering his cigarette from his lips.

"She's close," Shanks said. Focusing his mind, he called out for her. His heart raced when she didn't answer once again.

"Is she coming to see us?" Yasopp asked. The pirates turned their eyes to the ocean, looking for the familiar yellow sub their sweet elemental princess called home.

"That'll be great," Lucky Roo said. "We haven't seen her since we met with her and her crew back when they entered into the New World."

"No." Shanks frown. "Something's wrong. She's not answering my calls." Dropping his mug, he stood up. "Get ready to set sail. We're going after her."

The crew instantly got to their feet, they scrambled around to gather their things, and then rushed towards the ship. Boots thumped on the deck. Sails unfurled with whaps, bellowing out as they caught the wind. Shanks stood at the helm, his eyes tense with focus as he guided his ship and crew towards Neo's direction. While they sailed he continued to call out for her, hoping she was sleeping so deep she didn't hear his calls. But he knew that wasn't true. He could feel she was in danger. And he was going to find her.

…

Cain strummed his fingers on the exam table as he watched Neo's heartbeat blipping across the monitor screen. His eyes scanned for details, big ones and small ones. When he saw something that believe was important he scribbled it down in his notebook. His eyes then turned to the machine monitoring the baby's heartbeat. He did the same; took notes of anything and everything he deemed important.

"Sir, we're coming up on the island," Lita said over the voice pipe.

"Very good. You know what to do," Cain said.

"Yes, sir," Lita said before going quiet.

Cain traced his fingertips over Neo's forehead. "So close. So soon you'll be in my lab. Then the real fun will begin."

"We've landed, sir," Lita said.

"Good." Cain unhooked Neo from the machines, lifted her up, and left the room.

…

Law's head pounded as his groggy mind started to wake up from his sleep. He pushed upon his arms, finding them like noodles. They trembled before giving into his weight. Too tired to move again, he waited a few more minutes before trying again. His arms wobbled again but he managed to sit up. "What in the world is going on? I didn't drink at all. Why am I so weak? And why is my head pounding so hard?"

His heart hammered when he felt Neo wasn't beside him. He reached for her even though she wasn't there. His hand only met with cold sheets from the bed. Shifting to the edge of the bed, he pulled on his boots. His body swayed and the room spun when he stood up. Stumbling his hand managed to find the nightstand. He stabilized himself. Once his head was clearer he grabbed his hat and sword and left the room. Half rushing, half stumbling, he made his way to the door next to his and pounded on it. "Bepo!" He moved onto the next door and the next. "Kailen! Topaz! Everyone, wake up!"

Slowly, the doors started to open. His crew stumbled out into the hall, all of them looking as bad as he felt. A few slumped against the wall.

"What the heck happened?" Shachi asked. "My head is pounding like crazy."

"So is mind."

"Mind too."

"I didn't think I had _that_ much to drink."

"Well, we _didn't_ have anything to drink," Topaz said. "And I feel like my head is about to explode."

"Then what happened?" Kailen asked before he and Topaz sensed their princess was no long close by. "Neo! Where's Neo?!"

"I don't know," Law said. "I woke up, feeling like you all do, and found she was gone." He cursed. "Someone must have drugged us."

"What?!" the crew shouted then moaned from the pain they inflicted on themselves.

"But how?! And why take Neo?" Penguin asked while pressing his fingers to his temples. "Ugh. I think I'm going to be sick."

"Scientists are going to be curious about us since our existence was revealed in Dressrosa," Kailen said. "And Neo will be targeted most because of her being a royal." He gripped his fists. "And there's the fact she's pregnant. Scientists will want to know all about human and elemental hybrids."

 _'_ _Neo? Neo, can you hear me? Come on. Answer me.'_

"Then let's go!" Penguin said heading down the hall.

Law slammed his fist into the wall. "No!"

"Why?!" Penguin turned back to his captain.

"We can't do anything until we know where she is," Law said. "I'm calling her, but she won't answer. That means she's unconscious or her magic is being suppressed."

Multiple curses passed through the Heart Pirates.

…

Neo opened her eyes. Her head spun, blurring the world around her. Closing her eyes she breathed in slowly. A few more breaths and her head stopped spinning. She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar grey ceiling. Her heart jumped. She shot up, instantly regretting it since the fast movement caused her stomach to lurch. Once her stomach settled back down she attempted to sense out Law. When she didn't find him her body turned cold. "No."

Neo pushed herself up, finding she was lying on a hard cold floor. Looking around she also found she was inside of a square room. The walls were painted dull gray like the ceiling. Small lights hung over her. She was trapped. Her breath became sharp and fast. Her crystals appeared. Their elements gathered around them. Suddenly, her body drained of all its energy and dropped back to the floor. Her crystals vanished. "Oh no."

"Oh, yes," a man's voice said.

Neo's heart leaped. She looked around but found no one was with her. "Who…who are you?! Where's…Law?! Where's my family?!"

"My name is Cain," he said. "And don't worry about your sweet crew. They're safely back on Starfish Island."

"Why did you…take me?" Neo asked. She glanced up at the ceiling. Small sections of the ceiling were now open, revealing six pollution stones. Her eyes roamed along the ceiling. She found a speaker system there. "What do you want?"

"I want you. I think that should be obvious," Cain said. "I brought you to this place to put you through some minor experiments."

"Minor?" Neo pushed herself back into a sitting position. "You have six pollution stones hovering over me. How is that minor?"

"Sorry." A swoosh sounded. The pollution stones disappeared back into the ceiling.

Neo exhaled when her strength began to return to her.

"Now, don't try to escape," Cain said. "I have pollution stones all over this facility. If you make any attempt to escape I will use them, full force, on you. You don't want that, now do you? You are pregnant after all. It would hurt your child too, won't it?"

Neo gritted her teeth. Her body trembled. She now knew she was in some kind of lab. It made her wonder if it was as big as the ones on Punk Hazard. "You are going to regret taking me."

"I highly doubt that," Cain said. "Not many come to my island for the large amount of pirates and bandits I have working for me. Plus, no one has a clue where you are."

Neo forced back an eye roll and a snort in case he could see her. That wasn't true. Law would know soon enough. _'Law? Law, can you hear me?'_ No answer. Her head was still a bit fuzzy so she figured that was causing the disruption. And there was the fact the man had taken her from Starfish Island. She had no idea where she was. She needed to get the name of this island then give it to Law. He would find her then. "Where are we? Where did you take me?"

"It matters not," Cain said. "Let's get started on my experiments. I've already taken some of your blood and your baby's blood."

"You did what?" Anger flared up inside of her. Hurting her was one thing, hurting her and Law's child was another.

"Don't worry," Cain said. "It was just a small amount. And the needled was extremely thin. And the gas I used on you and your crew won't hurt the baby at all." He chuckled. "At least I don't think it will. I've never used it on a baby elemental hybrid before."

Neo growled. She had to hammer down her desire to use her crystals and smash her way out of this place. But the second she summoned her crystals she knew he would use the pollution stones on her. She was stuck here. Stuck here playing his dumb games. She had to get a message to Law. Her heart cracked. If she didn't know where she was she wouldn't be able to tell him how to find her.

"Let's get started." A door whooshed open.

Neo looked at it. A hallway appeared to be out there and nothing else.

"These first experiments are going to be physical ones," Cain said. "Now get moving."

Neo wondered for a moment what he would do to her if she defied him. She knew she couldn't risk it. He might do something that could hurt their baby. So she forced herself to stand up. Stepping out into the hall he told her to go right. The hall was exactly the same as the room she was just in. No one appeared to be around.

Another swoosh and a door opened. She stepped inside and found a desert like area. "What the heck?"

"This is the start of your first test," Cain said. "You'll make your way through this desert and find the next area. You're only allowed to use one crystal at a time. And remember that I have pollutions stones all over this place. If you use more than one crystal at a time or try to escape again I will use them on you. Now proceed."

Neo forced herself to walk forward. The air was hot and stale. The sand beneath her feet was hot from the…She looked up, shading her eyes with her hand. There was no sun, but the lights in this room were bright enough they could have been. She proceeded through the desert. Dunes rolled out in front of her. Her brain worked over the terrain. It had to be about her physical endurance. "You're testing my physical endurance."

"Very good, Princess," Cain said.

"Don't call me that," Neo snapped.

"Oh, interesting," Cain said. "Are you snappy because of your pregnancy?"

Neo fumed. There was no way she was going to answer him. She was fairly sure her snappiness was because she had been torn from her lover's and her family's side. As she walked she noticed the heat in the room got hotter and hotter. She summoned a wind crystal and created a breeze around her for a while. Her still slightly muddied brain tried to work through her situation. She was alone, without her crew, some stranger was trying to experiment on her, she could only use one crystal at a time. There seemed to be no solution to any of this.

After a while she banished her wind crystal in favor of her water crystal. Turning the water cold she drank deeply before continuing on. A couple hours passed before she finally reached the other side of the room. Her legs slightly throbbed from all the walking. Another door opened. She stepped through and found herself inside of a forest. She sighed with relief. At least she was going to get out of the desert.

…

Penguin raced over the island, looking for anyone who might have seen who had taken Neo from them. The captain had them all spread out over the island soon after they discovered everyone in the hotel had been gassed like they had been. Surely someone outside of the hotel had seen something. But with each person Penguin asked, the less and less hopeful he was getting. He came upon another island citizen. "Excuse me."

"Yes?" She turned to him.

"I'm looking for my sister," Penguin said. "She was taken from us last night."

"That's terrible," the woman said.

"I know. We're very worried about her," Penguin said. "Did you see anything strange last night? Anyone who might have been doing something they shouldn't? Or who was out late? She has long light blue hair and tan skin. Oh, and electric blue eyes. If you saw her you'd know who I'm talking about."

"Come to think of it," the woman said. "I did see a couple people heading to the harbor late last night. Or maybe it was early this morning. I never can really tell."

"That doesn't matter," Penguin said. "Did one of them have sky blue hair?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "There was a young woman with sky blue hair. She was being carried by the man. There was also another woman with them. He had black hair and she had brown. I think. It was dark after all."

"Do you know where they headed?"

"Not really. I only saw that they headed north in a submarine," she said. "But that could lead to anywhere."

"I see. Thank you!" Penguin rushed off to find his captain. It took far too long for him to locate Law. But when he did everything came spilling out of his mouth.

"A submarine, huh?" Law frowned. Submarines travel faster than ships.

"I know. He could be anywhere by now," Penguin said. "But at least we have general direction to look in. We are going, right?"

"We are." Law nodded. "We're going to find her. Gather the crew. We're leaving."

"Aye, Captain!"

…

Law turned from Penguin and headed for the sub. His mind going over the different methods he was going to be using on the people who had taken his love from him. Despite the red splotches from anger flashing in his eyes, he managed to make it back to the sub. He warped himself up onto the deck and waited for his crew to arrive. Finally, they all came running to the ship. Without a word, they went inside and the sub was soon pulling away from the island. The Polar Tang submerged, and they headed north at full throttle.

…

 **Author's Note: Well, the idea sounded better in my head but I'm going to post it anyone since it's just a couple chapters.**


	2. Emperor

Emperor

Neo huffed as she walked along the machine the scientist called a treadmill. Patches were attached to her forehead and chest, though she had no idea how they managed to stay on with how much she had been sweating. Since she had flown through his experiments of her walking through nature he decided to have her tested on a man made machine. She had been walking for hours, only allowing stopping for a short time to use the bathroom and eat. Her legs were noodles at this point. Her feet ached and were rubbing raw from the rough material she had been walking on. Her body was aching to be out in nature again.

"That's enough," Cain said. He pressed a button on the treadmill and it slowed to a stop. "We're done for now. Lita, escort her back to her room and give her the dinner we have prepared. We'll resume testing after she's rested for a while."

"Yes, sir," Lita said.

Neo dropped to her knees and sucked in breath after breath. From the corner of her eyes she could see Lita stepping around the control panel she and Cain had been standing behind. Before Lita got to her she ripped off the patches from her skin so she wouldn't be touched.

"Fine. Let's go," Lita said.

Neo forced herself onto her trembling legs. With a stumble she followed Lita out of the room. They walked in silence through the cool, empty hall until they came to the room she was going to be held in when not undergoing some test.

"This is it. Your new room." Lita punched in a code and the door whooshed open. "Get in. You're dinner is already inside."

Neo walked into the room. The room was the same as any other, dull grey, lacking in color and decorations. Even the bed was plain with one pillow and a thin blanket. There on the table was a tray of food she had never seen before. Instead of going to it, she went to the bed and laid down. She was too tired to eat. Cradling her stomach, she wished she had the magic and energy to project herself to Law. Warm tears poured down her cheeks. Her heart ached with the knowledge of how worried Law was going to be about her right now. She had to get out of here. She would get out of here. There was no way they were going to die here. Not by the hands of some nutcase scientist. All she had to do what wait. Cain was human. And humans always made mistakes. She would wait for that mistake. And she would pounce when she found it. She just hoped it would be soon. She didn't want to spend one single night alone without Law. That had been forced on her before. And she hated it.

…

"Come on, Neo," Shanks said as he scanned the area. Rock formations and a few small islands, which most likely didn't have people on them, dotted the area. "Where are you?" Then something to the right drew his eye. He felt her. "There!"

Shanks turned the ship in the direct he felt Neo.

"Captain, did you sense her?" Yasopp asked.

"Yes." Shanks nodded. "We're getting closer. Prepare for battle. Someone's probably expecting our arrival."

"Aye!" the crew said. They bustled about the ship, readying for whatever they might face once they got to Neo.

Shanks eyebrows drew together. The island he knew Neo was on came closer and closer. Yet she wasn't returning his calls. "If she's hurt I'm going to kill whoever did it to her."

Finally, they arrived. Both he and the crew scanned for possible threats. They saw none. The ship docked and they stepped onto the island. A forest and a line of rocks greeted them. It was as if someone arranged them to act as a fence. There was an opening in front of them. It screamed of a trap but the pirates walked forward. As they knew the second they stepped through the opening several people attacked them. They recognized a lot of them as pirates.

The air filled with battle cries and gunshots. But the emperor's crew quickly made their way through the ambush despite getting a few scratches themselves.

Shanks grabbed a man by the front of his shirt and pulled him to his face. "Where's Neo?"

"Th-there." The man pointed towards the inland.

Shanks dropped the man and proceeded forward. They passed through another line of trees. More attacks happened, yet none did anything to slow them down. Before long a large domed lab appeared with an army of armed men standing in front of it. He sensed her inside of it. So they proceeded with another battle full of gunshots, punches, kicks, and haki usage.

…

Law gritted his teeth. His eyes locked onto the horizon. There had been no sign of Neo anywhere in the several hours they had been searching. He couldn't get a read on her at all. It hurt not knowing where she was and what was happening to her and their child.

"Captain?" Penguin asked softly.

Law sighed. He knew the entire crew was waiting for him to give them their orders. He didn't want to because the only order he had was their only option. And he hated it with a passion.

"What now?" Bepo asked.

Law took a deep breath. Tightening his hands on the railing he forced out, "We wait."

"But, Captain," Penguin said.

"Don't, Penguin." Kailen placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You know this is our only choice. We can't keep searching like this. If we do we could actually get farther away from Neo."

"I know." Penguin sighed. He walked away from the elemental. With an angry yell he kicked the railing and cursed.

…

Neo jerked to the intrusive loud bang that interrupted the sleep she was lost in. Her heart and mind raced with the startle and fear. Disoriented she sat up and rubbed her head.

"Let's go." Lita looked down at the food left uneaten. "He's not going to be happy you didn't eat."

Neo glared at the wall. "Then he can eat it. And let him be pregnant while doing so."

Lita scoffed. "Now that's a sight I'll never get out of my head. Thanks a lot. Let's go. He's ready for the next test."

Neo didn't move. Not only because her body was so tired but also because she didn't want to.

"Come on," Lita said. She tapped her boot toe on the floor. "We don't have all day. If you don't get up right now I'm authorized to zap you and your precious child." She plucked a thin black rod from her belt.

Neo eyed it. She had no idea if the rod really was able to shock her. She wasn't going to find out. Pushing herself to her feet, winced at the pain it caused, and she wobbled towards the door. She should have used her solar crystal before going to sleep. Or maybe that was a good thing. Cain never mentioned wanting her to use it. Did that mean he didn't know about it or did he forget about it or not care about it? There was no way to know without using it or asking him.

Once again they made their way down the dull looking hall. She wondered how many others had been in her position before her. How many of her people has he tested? And how many of them got away. And how many…she shook the thought away. She couldn't think like that. She wouldn't allow it. She didn't want to know if he's killed any of her people.

"This way." Lita pointed to a door they never went in before.

Gulping Neo stepped into the room. An exam table was in the middle of the room. Surrounding it was several machines she didn't recognize. Some of the wires dangling from the ceiling she did recognize. They were the same ones that were placed on her when she was running on the treadmill. So whatever was about to happen the crazy man was going to be monitoring her heart and brain waves.

"Lay down here after you remove your top layer of clothing." Cain patted the exam table.

Neo froze. Her heart and head pounded. Her mind raced with possibilities of laying on that table.

"I told you to lay down," Cain said.

Neo still didn't move. She heard a crackling sound before a shock ran through her body. Her knees buckled but she managed to stay on her feet. The shock stopped.

"I'm not going to tell you again," Cain said.

Neo panted. She forced herself to walk over to the table. Unwillingly, she took off her clothes laid down on it. Her body trembled as the scientist strapped her arms and legs down to the table. Her heart rate shot through the roof. She was trapped. Her crystals appeared in the room.

"Stop that," Cain said.

The elements swirled around her crystals.

"I said stop!" A beep.

Magic and energy drained from Neo. Her crystals vanished. She eyed the pollution stone embedded in the ceiling above her. If it weren't there she would have created a storm that would have blown away this entire island in just a few seconds.

"Let's get started now," Cain said.

Neo looked at him then to the scalpel he held in his hand. Her blood ran cold. Her vision blurred. Her mind raced with all the horrible possibilities that could happen. "No. Don't."

"Just relax. This will only hurt worse if you struggle." Cain smiled.

Neo trembled as the scalpel inched closer to her stomach. Was he going to take their baby away from her? Was he going to see how far he could hurt her and not kill her? "Stop it!"

The blade reached her skin. It pressed into her skin. Warm blood leaked from the puncture.

"Don't!" Neo screamed.

A loud bang rang out. Smoke and pieces of the wall and door filled the room.

"What the heck was that?" Cain lifted up.

"Let her go!" a familiar voice hissed.

Neo turned her eyes to the voice. Her heart lifted at the sight of his red hair through her blurry vision. "Godfather!"

"You can't be serious," Cain said. "What happened to the guards outside?!"  
"I told you this would happen." Lita sighed.

The pirates flooded into the room.

"This is what you get for messing with an emperor's goddaughter," Lita said.

"Why do you have to be so cold about it?! Don't just stand there! Fight them!" Cain snapped.

"As you wish." Lita shot forward.

Neo watched as Lita charged towards her godfather's crew. Lita managed to weave through them all. Blood spurted from cuts on their arms.

"What the heck?" Lucky Roo asked.

"She's fast." Yasopp lifted his gun. He aimed and fired at Lita but missed each time.

"Maybe." Benn followed her movements. Using his observation haki he swung at the air. His fist collided with her shoulder with a sickening crunch.

Neo's stomach turned. Lita's arm snapped off at her shoulder. Neo was on the verge of heaving when she noticed sparks coming from the severed arm. "She's a cyborg?"

"Oh dear," Lita said. "So much for keeping it a secret. No. I'm not a cyborg. I am a robot. Completely a machine. The good doctor here created me as the ultimate bodyguard. However he didn't take into consideration how strong the emperors and their crews really were. There's only so much pressure my body can take."

"Don't tell them that!" Cain snapped.

"They would have found out anyway," Lita said. "I can still fight but I am damaged. I won't be as strong as before. If you wish to run now is the time. I can only distract them for so long."

Neo gagged. Closing her eyes she breathed deep and slow to calm her stomach. She listened to the battle. Several punches, gunshots, a very angry shout from Shanks, and other attacks happened before there was a mechanical thunk. Most sparks and snaps replaced the battle sounds. She opened her eyes. Lita's machine body was laying totally destroyed on the floor. She looked for Shanks. He was a few feet away, staring angrily at a wall. "Godfather?"

"Cain got away," Shanks said. "I'm sorry, Neo."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you arrived." Tears leaked down her cheeks. Relief flooded her body. She and their child were safe now. "How did you know I was here?"  
"We were in the area. I sensed you but you didn't contact me I knew you were in trouble." Shanks walked over to her and removed the straps from her limbs.

"There's a pollution stone," Benn said looking up at the ceiling.

"They're all over this place," Neo said.

"Get rid if them! Quick!" Shanks ordered. "And tear this place apart!"

"Aye, Captain!" The crew started running around the room. One by one they found the pollution stones and tossed them out of the room where they wouldn't hurt her anymore while smashing the machines.

Strength returning to her body with each stone that left the room. She grabbed her godfather in a hug. "Thank you."

"It's all right." Shanks hugged her back. "You're safe now."

"Here are your clothes," Yasopp said. "I got a bandage too. Let's take care of that wound." He nodded to the doctor of the crew.

The doctor nodded back and stepped forward.

"Thank you." Neo took her clothes. She waited until the doctor cleaned and bandaged the cut on her stomach before pulling on her clothes. The men, who weren't removing pollution stones from the room, turned to give her a bit of privacy to dress. "Okay."

"How are you feeling?" Shanks asked.

"Better now that you are here and the pollution stones are gone. I'm still tired though," Neo said pulling her hair out of her shirt. She tried to summon her solar crystal but it didn't respond. "But I need to gain some more strength before I can use my solar crystal."

"Then we should get you outside as soon as possible." Shanks nodded at Yasopp.

"Right." Yasopp nodded back before picking Neo up.

"I'm not too heavy?" Neo asked.

"Of course not." Yasopp smiled. "Just relax, Princess. We're getting you out of here."

"So what happened? And who are these people?" Benn asked as they all headed for the exit.

"Someone who just wanted to run tests on me," Neo said. "We were on Starfish Island. Law and I went to bed. When I woke up I was here. I assume they used gas on us or something. Law and the crew must be so worried and furious."

"The skin on your feet is torn a bit," Lucky Roo noted.

"They'll be fine once I can heal them with my solar crystal," Neo said.

"That husband of yours is probably chewing nails right about now," Shanks said.

"I'm sure he is. I'll contact him as soon as I can," Neo said.

"Other than that how are you feeling? Our doctor trained with the healers on Luminous," Shanks said.

"I'm okay. Mostly he did nothing but physical tests. He had me walking through different terrains for hours then run on a treadmill. That's why my feet are torn," Neo said. "I'll let you know if something shows up."

Shanks nodded.

"Uh, Captain?" Lucky Roo said. "You might want to come see this."

"What is it?" Shanks stepped outside. "What the heck?"

"What's wrong?" Neo asked as Yasopp stepped outside with her.

"The island has changed," Shanks said.

Neo scanned her eyes over the island. Since she had no idea how it looked before she wasn't sure what had actually changed. Though she knew she could trust these pirates. What she did notice was a thick fog settled on the outside of the island as if to block onlookers from seeing inside. "Does anything look familiar to you?"

"Not really. We were in too much of a hurry to get to you. And we fought a lot too," Shanks said. "I'm positive the fog wasn't here before. And those rocks over there weren't here either."

"Some of this scenery isn't real," Neo said. She summoned her solar crystal and washed it over her body then to the cuts on the pirates.

"Isn't real?" Benn asked. "Illusions then? Save your solar crystal for yourself, Neo."

Neo shook her head. "I can heal you all too. I'm already feeling better."

"That is possible," Shanks said. "The technology that was in the lab was impressive. There's probably more of it somewhere around here. And I bet Cain will be controlling it."

"We could just leave," Neo said. "I can guide you all to the ship. I can sense it's near."

"I know you're ready to leave, but I'm not letting him get away with this. If we just let him go he'll try this again and again," Shanks said. His eyes glinted with hate before calming down. He took Neo's hand. "I'm sorry, my child. I know you want to get back to your family as soon as possible. But I cannot allow him to hurt you and your people anymore."

"I do want to get back to them." Neo nodded. "But I do understand why you need to do this."

"Neo, are you sure?" Shanks asked. "I won't do anything that will upset you."

"I am." Neo nodded again. "It's going to take a while to get back to Law anyway. I'm not sure where I am so I don't know where he is. I know he didn't stay on Starfish Island. They came looking for me. While I'm feeling better than before I don't have enough magic to contact him yet. I need to get all my magic back before I can project myself to him and let him know what happened."

"All right then." Shanks nodded. "Then let's get going. He's not going to get away with hurting my goddaughter and grandson. Let's move out, men."

The crew agreed. "Aye, Captain!"

"So where do you think he went?" Benn asked.

Shanks looked around.

"There's a large mountain to the northwest of here," Neo said. "I can also sense tunnels under the island. That's probably where he escaped to. And there are a lot of trees on the island too. There are some tree free spots. I assume those are towns unless no one else lives on this island."

"We should head to one of the towns," Shanks said. "We might be able to get information from them. Where's the closest town?"

"There might be one a few miles west of here," Neo said.

"Then we'll head there." Shanks headed off into the illusions.

A few minutes of walking their nice stroll through the woods turned into a swamp. Neo's nose twitched at the smell of moss. It wasn't something she was use to being around. Though it did remind her of the crew's quarters when they went days without cleaning their rooms. An ache appeared in her chest. She exhaled, reminding herself she would be with them again soon enough.

"I hope we don't fall into any quick sand," Lucky Roo said.

"What are you talking about?" Yasopp asked. "We have Neo with us. If there is any quick sand we won't fall in."

"You're right." Lucky Roo smiled. "Sorry about that."

"What I don't understand is why he's using illusions against us. If he's been testing on elementals he should know that we can sense real plants and animals," Neo said. "It's pointless."

"Maybe he's not," Benn said. "Maybe he's only tested on one or two elementals. Or possibly even none."

"Do you think so?" Neo looked up at Shanks.

"It is possible," Shanks said, scanning the area. "But don't let your guard down just yet. We don't know what he might throw at us."

Bushes rustled.

The pirates froze. They aimed their weapons.

"What is it?" Benn asked.

"Um, large cats," Neo said.

"Large cats?" Benn looked at her.

Just then several panthers walked from the bushes. The panthers snarled at them before noticing Neo. They calmed down instantly.

"Is he for real?" Yasopp asked.

"Sending animals to attack an elemental?" Lucky Roo added. "Come on."

"I'm beginning to think this guy had a death wish from the start," Neo said.

"He took you," Shanks said. "I'm sure he does."

"What now?" Benn asked. "They're not going to attack us."

"We move on," Shanks said.

"They're going to follow us," Neo said as one of the panthers walked up to her. He sniffed her feet then growled. "I'm okay. Cain did this. He wanted to study me because I'm an elemental. He ran off when my godfather and his crew here arrived. I'll be fine though. My solar crystal here is healing me."

The panther growled, baring his teeth then licked Neo's foot.

"Looks like we've added some friends," Yasopp said.

Neo's eyes landed on the collars around the panthers' necks. "Wait. What are those collars? What?! Really?!"

"What is it, Neo?" Shanks asked.

"Cain put those collars on them. He shocks them to get them to obey him." Neo gritted her teeth. "Please, remove them at once."

"Sure thing." Shanks nodded at his crew. They stepped forward and tore off the collars then smashed the small boxes that were on them.

"Thank you. The panthers thank you as well," Neo said. "They said they can take us to a town where we might find out where Cain went."

"That's great," Shanks said. "It'll save us time looking for him. How are you doing now?"  
"Fine. My feet are healing and a lot of my magic has come back," Neo said.

"Then let's keep moving," Shanks said. "Tell your new friends to lead on."

"Please take us to the town," Neo said. The panthers nodded. Turning from the pirates they headed into the swamp. They passed by a small body of water. Alligators appeared inside of the murky water, their eyes just above the water.

"Are they real?" Lucky Roo asked.

"No. They're not," Neo said. One lunged up out of the water, the water sloshed. With its large jaws open it moved to clamp down on a pirate's leg but it went right through him. "Don't pay them any mind."

"Nice sound effects," Benn said. "It looked and sounded so real."

They walked up to a ravine. Three trees laid across it. The panthers went to the one on the left and crossed. The pirates quickly followed. On the other side they entered into another forest.

"There are several animals here," Neo said. "They're watching us. Be careful. Some appear ready to attack."

Shouts from gorillas echoed through the air before their large bodies appeared out of the brush. Some attacks the pirates while others stopped upon sensing Neo.

"Please, my friends, calm down," Neo said. Using her earth crystals she wrapped vines around the attacking gorillas and pulled them off the crew. "We're not here to hurt you. I know Cain has hurt you but we can set you free."

The gorillas looked at each other. They too wore shock collars around their necks.

"Allow my friends here to remove those collars. I promise they will never hurt you again," Neo said. When the gorillas relaxed she nodded to the pirates. They freed the creatures of the shock collars before the gorillas disappeared back into the trees. One stayed behind. "What is it?"

She pointed up to the trees. Everyone looked up to see a transponder snail looking right at them.

"We're being watched," Shanks said.

"I could easily take it out but there's no point," Benn said. "He knows we're coming."

"Keep moving," Shanks said. "Let him throw whatever he wants at us. We can handle it easy enough."

Neo looked up at the transponder snail. She wondered about what Shanks just said. Sure she could tame animals easily enough. And the crew was strong enough to fight any pirates Cain threw at them. But the crew was still human. And humans had weaknesses. She wondered how Cain would use their weaknesses against them. They would have to be very careful. She would have to be very careful and watch out for them.


	3. Going Home

Going Home

Neo continued to scan their surroundings as they made their way to the town. She also kept a close eye on their feline companions who stuck close to them. They only grew tense when something was going to happen. So far not much did happen. A few other animals had tried to attack them but like before the pirates freed them when Neo calmed them down.

"Hey something's going on with the plants over there," one of the pirates said.

"Don't worry about it," Neo said. "It's not real. No plants are actually moving." She tensed at the same time the panthers did. The panthers growled deeply.

"What is it, Neo?" Yasopp asked.

"Someone's close," Neo said.

"Be ready," Shanks ordered.

The pirates tensed up. An arrow embedded in a tree near Shanks head with a dull thunk. He pulled out his sword as more arrows were fired at them. The arrows pinged off their weapons and bedded in their surroundings. They charged forward and engaged the enemy.

"Hold on," Yasopp said. He backed up against a tree so the arrows wouldn't hit Neo.

"There's about fifty of them," Neo said. "Some are hiding in the trees while others are on the ground. They're probably using camouflage to keep hidden."

"Just relax," Yasopp said. "My crew will handle this fine."

Neo nodded. She felt the panthers tensing up. A few of the panthers charged at those who were firing at them. A couple yipped in pain causing her to twinge. She closed her eyes and folded her hands. "Please, be careful."

Soon the battlefield air silenced. Neo opened one eye to Shanks smiling face. "It's okay, Neo. The fight is over. And there're not many wounds. Only a few scratches."

"And the panthers?" Neo looked to them.

"A couple of them took a bullet to the shoulder and side but it only grazed them." Shanks straightened up and looked at the creatures. "They could use your help."

"Of course." Neo spread her solar crystal's glow over the panthers. Their wounds closed up. They purred, one licked her foot. "You're very welcome. I'm glad you're all okay too."

"Let's keep moving." Shanks turned and took the lead.

A couple hours passed before Neo finally felt her magic and energy had come back enough for her to walk on her own. "You can set me down now."

"Hm? You sure?" Yasopp asked. "You're still not tired?"

"I am sure." Neo nodded. "I'm feeling a lot better. And we're really close to the town."

"All right." Yasopp placed Neo down on her feet.

Neo tested herself before confirming she was fine. The panthers stepped up to her and rubbed their heads on her legs. "You're all so sweet. I'm fine. Really. And you all have be a lot of help. You don't have to come with us from this point. I won't want you all to get hurt again. Thank you so much."

The panthers took off into the forest.

"You sure about letting them go? I figured you'd take them home with you," Shanks said.

"You know we can't have pets," Neo said kneading her eyebrows with a smirk.

"I know." Shanks smiled. "But you could have still taken them with you."

"Godfather, please. You only wanted me to take them home to annoy Law." Neo crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow.

"But of course." Shanks laughed.

"The captain's always going to give that boy a hard time," Benn said.

"That just means he cares," Lucky Roo said. "He'll love anyone who's involved with Neo."

Neo rolled her eyes. "Let's continue. Please."

"As you wish, Princess." Still smiling, Shanks started walking again.

Before long the sounds of music and women laughing floated on the breeze towards them.

"Hm? Sounds like someone's having a party," Yasopp said.

"Let's check it out," Shanks said.

Neo stayed close to him. They slipped through the trees until the noise got louder. Ducking behind some bushes they pushed some leaves aside to find a large pool, a ton of food, and women.

"Wow!" Yasopp said.

"Great. A bunch of naked women around a pirate crew," Neo grumbled. "I was wondering what Cain would throw at us."

"Come now, Neo," Shanks said. "They're not naked. They're wearing bikinis."

Neo eyed the bikinis. They barely covered the women's bodies. "Fine. But if you all let your guard down…"

"We're not going to," Shanks said. "I'm still furious at Cain for taking you. They might know where he is. We won't fall for them in a situation like this."

The pirates headed towards the women.

Neo watched them go before saying to herself, "Women are often a man's downfall. Still, Godfather loves me. He won't get distracted, especially while inside the enemies territory." She followed them.

"Welcome to the Pool," a tall blonde woman said to them.

"Good day, ladies," Shanks said. "I hope we're not intruding."

"Not at all," the woman smiled. "This place is open to anyone who lives or comes to this island. It's a wonderful place to sit down and relax."

"So why are there only women here?" Neo asked. "Where are all the men?"

"Because we all are friends," she said. "We often get together for some girl time. But don't take that the wrong way. You are all welcome to stay. We have plenty to eat. Help yourselves. I'm sure you must be hungry."

"That would be nice, but we can't," Shanks said. "We're actually looking for someone."

"Oh?" The woman fluttered her eyelashes. Cocking her hip out she gave Shanks a flirtatious look.

Neo frowned then glanced around at the women. They started to move closer to the pirates, all trying to look alluring for the pirates. With the way they were swaying their hips and sending flirting glances at the pirates she knew they were trying to seduce them. It annoyed her. The same protectiveness and possessiveness she felt with other women flirted with her own crew appeared. Summoning her earth crystals, she placed one in front of each pirate and crew a thorny vines. "Do not flirt with my crew."

"Oh dear." The blonde stepped away from Shanks. The color drained from her tanned face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know they were with you."

"Neo's very protective of those she cares about," Shanks said. "We are also on a mission. None of my crew will fall for your seduction games."

The blonde woman looked at the pirates with a frown. "I suppose you are correct. You're not like other pirates at all."

Neo couldn't help but look as well. The crew was holding back their desires with stern looks. But it was obvious a few were disappointed. Those were the ones who didn't know Neo and her people all that well. She understood. They were only human after all. And these women were attractive. Or they looked like the type of women her crew would pursue if she allowed it.

"So let's just get to the point. I get the feeling you know exactly why we are here," Shanks said.

"We might," the woman said.

"Why don't you tell us your name?" Shanks said.

"It won't do you any good, but its Melody," Melody said.

"Well, Melody," Shanks said. "You do know who we are, don't you?"

"We do." Melody nodded. "We were informed you might be heading this way."

"Do you want to fight us?" Shanks asked.

The women stepped back from them.

Neo tensed.

Melody glanced up at a tree then back at them.

"We already know Cain is watching us," Neo said. She connected to nature. Feeling around she found seven transponder snails watching them. Mumbling a sorry to them she wrapped the snails up in vines so Cain could no longer see what was going on. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. Cain can't see what we're doing now."

"What are you talking about?" Melody asked.

"I can tell you are a good person," Neo said. "And we know that Cain has been watching this island. We can free you. We've already freed a lot of animals that were under his control."

"So tell us your story," Shanks said.

The women exchanged looks before looking towards Melody.

"Fine." Melody sighed. "Originally, we're not of this island. And we're not fighters and have no intention of being. Cain basically brought us here to entertain him. Most of us are gifted in the music, dancing, and the arts. While others are forced to give physical pleasure to the men who follow Cain."

"That's awful," Neo said. "How long have you been here?"  
"I've been here for almost eleven years," Melody said. "I'm one of Cain's dancers. There is nothing more we want to do than take him down. But as you could probably guess he's not easy to defeat. He has a lot of fighters, he's a scientist, and he's watching everything. Some have tried to escape and have been killed."

"Don't worry now, Melody," Shanks said. "Just tell us where he is and we'll free you from his grasp."

"Do you know where he is?" Neo asked. "He escaped from us a few hours ago."

"Yes," Melody said. "We all know where he is. Or we can assure where he might be. He has a bunker in the middle of the island. That's where he goes when something doesn't go his way. Surely he's contacted all of his fighters by now and is sending them this way. I'm not sure how strong they are."

"We've done fine so far," Lucky Roo said. "We'll be fine with whatever he throws at us."

Melody sighed. "Fine. If you really wanted to face him." She walked away from them. Lifting up a large leaf she revealed a stone pathway. "If you follow this path then it'll take you right to him. Assuming that's where he is, of course."

"Let's go," Shanks said. Once again he took the lead and headed down the path. "Neo, keep an eye out for transponder snails."

"Right." Neo nodded. Connected to nature she sought out any transponder snails that could be hiding. And each one she found she wrapped up with vines.

"I have a question," Benn then said.

"What is it?" Shanks asked.

"Why are we walking into this trap when Neo could just fly us there in seconds?" Benn asked.

Shanks froze.

"Oh," Neo said then giggled. "I can do that. I guess I forgot."

"I can understand you being forgetful considering what you've just been through and being pregnant." Benn looked at his captain. "But you?"

"Shut up," Shanks snapped. "I was thinking of Neo's health! She's having my grandson after all!"

"You just don't want to admit you didn't think of it," Benn said. The crew chuckled.

Neo summoned her wind crystals and lifted them into the air. With in seconds she had them outside of the building is suppose to be hiding in. "So what now?"

"I go in and take care of Cain," Shanks said. "The rest of you stay out here and keep the others from coming in."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Neo asked. "Cain has a lot of people working for him."

"Cain is a coward. I know the type. They use others to fight their battles. He's in over his head and he knows it," Shanks said. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. I promise I'll be back in a few minutes. Then we'll take you home."

Neo nodded. She flew Shanks down to the building. With one punch he blew a hole and disappeared inside. She then placed the rest of them on the ground.

"You should stay up high," Benn said.

"Okay." Neo nodded and lifted herself back into the air. Another battle erupted. She kept her focus on the crew below her. She trapped, tripped, and blew away the enemy to keep as many off the crew as she could. Suddenly a loud bang came from the building. She looked to find a thick black smoke rising from it. "Godfather?"

…

Shanks wandered into the building. Several people were waiting for him. He used his haki to knock a lot of them out before slicing his way through the mess he had entered. Following his gut he made his was to the center of the building. There he found a round room and a tightly sealed door. He kicked it in. The door flew back, landing on the floor with a loud clank. His eyes landed on Cain. The scientist was sitting in a machine of some sort. It had large legs and two pinchers for hands.

"So you made it here," Cain said.

"And I see you have been waiting for me," Shanks said.

"I have." Cain nodded. "And you're going to die here."

Shanks scoffed and walked forward.

Cain screamed, a feral scream as one pincher shot towards Shanks.

Shanks pulled his sword. He sliced the pincher off the body of the machine.

Cain continued attacking. "Die you filthy pirate!"

"That's not going to happen." Shanks reached the machine body. He pulled Cain from it. Grabbing the man's index finger, he snapped it.

Cain screamed.

"Get use to it." Shanks broke another finger of Cain's. "You're in for so much more."

One by one Shanks proceeded to break every single body in Cain's body.

Cain's screamed filled the silent air.

…

Neo's eyes bounced back and forth between the door and the pirates. When it was clear they had the fight under control she let her eyes stay on the door. Her heart raced. She knew Shanks was strong but was still worried about him. Finally, after several minutes of painful waiting, Shanks came walking from the building. Just as he stepped outside the building completely collapsed behind him.

"Godfather." Neo dropped down to him. She threw her arms around him. "What happened in there? Are you all right? Where's Cain?"  
"It's best you don't know," Shanks said. "Let's just say Cain will never bother you or your people ever again."

Neo shivered. He was right. She didn't want to know what went on in there. She could smell blood on his body but forced it from her mind. As long as it wasn't his she would be fine. The rest of the battle ended rather quickly after that. The pirates walked over to Neo and Shanks.

Neo sighed. "Can I go home now?"

"Of course you can," Shanks said.

"Great." Neo smiled. "I miss my boys so very much." Wrapping her winds back around the pirates, she lifted them into the air once again and flew them to the ship. Looking down she noticed the illusions had faded away. She sat them down on the deck and drew in a deep breath. "Finally. Back on the ocean."

"If you're feeling up to it you should call that husband of yours," Shanks said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course. Set sail, men," Shanks ordered. "Let's get Neo back home."

"Aye, Captain!"

Neo followed Shanks over to the railing where they would be out of the way. When he sat down she sat down beside him. Leaning against him she closed her eyes and projected herself to Law. _'Law?' She opened her eyes and found herself standing on the sub deck. Law was there by himself. She knew the crew was giving him his space. She noticed his knuckles were white from holding onto the railing so hard._

"Neo?" Law whipped around when he heard her.

 _'Hey.' Neo smiled._

"Neo!" Law rushed over to her.

 _Neo leaped into his arms. 'Law!'_

"I've been so worried about you!" Law held her tightly. "What happened? Where are you? Who took you? Are you hurt?"

 _'I was taken by a scientist. I don't know where we are. He experimented on me.'_

"He did what?" Law growled.

 _Neo looked up at him. 'I'm all right, Law. Godfather was close by. He sensed me and knew something was wrong when I didn't respond to his calls.'_

"Shanks was close by?" Law asked.

 _'Yes.' Neo nodded. 'I'm safe and with him and the crew now. We're on his ship. We're coming to you but I need to know where are you.'_

"Several miles north of Starfish Island," Law said running his hand through her hair. "We tried to find you but with no idea where to go. I knew we shouldn't get too far from the island. I knew you would contact me when you could. I'm so glad you're okay."

 _'Okay. I'll tell Godfather that. Hopefully he'll know how to get there,' Neo said._

"Love, are you sure you're okay?" Law placed his hand on her stomach. "What about Cora?"  
 _Neo placed her hands on his. 'We're both fine, my love. I've used my solar crystal on us. Mostly he only tested me in different conditions. He was about to cut me open when Shanks and his crew arrived. I promise we're okay. I'll tell you ever single detail when we get back together.'_

Law sighed. He nodded then leaned down and captured her lips. "I don't want to tell you to go but I know you use a lot of magic when projecting yourself. You need to rest as much as you can now."

 _'I know. We'll be together in a few hours. We can snuggle then.'_

Law nodded again before kissing her. He deepened the kiss for several minutes before finally pulling away. "You're going to get a lot more of that when you get home."

 _'I can't wait.' Neo smiled._

"We'll be waiting for you near Starfish Island," Law said. "Go now."

 _Neo nodded. She stole another kiss before going back to the ship._ She sighed and opened her eyes. "Law and the crew are going back to Starfish Island. They'll wait there for us." She looked up at Shanks. "Tell me you know how to get there."

"Of course we do. We've been there a few times." Shanks nodded at his navigator then looked back at Neo. "We'll get you there as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Godfather." Neo rested against him and closed her eyes. "Do you think it would be odd for me to say I'm glad we got to spend a little time together from this event?"

"No. It's not odd at all," Shanks said. "But next time how about you not get kidnapped and just come straight to me instead?"

Neo looked at him before laughing. "Right. Good plan."

"You should rest now. I'm sure you're tired," Shanks said.

"Good idea." Neo closed her eyes.

…

When Now awoke from her nap she found herself lying on something soft instead of lending against her godfather's side. Sitting up she found she was in someone's room. Her heart raced with panic for a second, having forgotten where she was. But when the familiar smell of her godfather's scent registered in her brain she relaxed. "That's right. I'm with Godfather now." The door creaked open. Shanks walked in. "Godfather."

"You're awake." Shanks smiled. "When you fell asleep I thought you'd be more comfortable in a bed. So I had you moved in my room. Are you all right?"

"Yes. Thank you." Neo stood up. "I only forgot for a moment where I was."

"The bathroom's there if you need it. We're almost to Starfish Island," Shanks said.

"We are? I slept that long?" Neo asked.

"You were stressed and tired," Shanks said. "I'm actually surprised you stayed up as long as you did."

"I guess so." Neo nodded.

"We'll be waiting outside. The cook made you something to eat." Shanks left the room.

Neo used the bathroom before heading outside. Stepping outside she sat the island in the distance before looking down at the crew. They all greeted her when they noticed her there. "Hello, everyone."

"Come on down here," Shanks called.

Neo walked down to him and sat down in a chair they had set up for her. The cook set a mug of soup in front of her and a few crackers. "Thank you. This looks wonderful."

"I hope you like it. It'll help you recover from your ordeal," the cook said.

"That's sweet." Neo picked up the mug. She blew on it before taking a sip. She hummed at the spices bursting over her tongue. "It's delicious."

Neo sat enjoying her soup and crackers while watching the crew. About an hour later she finally was able to sense Law. She tried to remain calm and keep her attention on the crew. If she paid attention to the distance it would only make getting there go slower. Then the sub came into the view. The ship glided up to it. She smiled when she saw Law and her crew on the deck of their home. "Law!"

Law warped to the ship and pulled Neo into his arms. "Neo."

Neo breathed in his scent for a second before he kissed her deeply.

The Red Hair Pirates cheered and chuckled at them.

"If you go any deeper you might want to get a room," Shanks said.

Law broke the kiss and glared at him. "If you didn't save Neo I would cut you down right here and now."

Neo sighed. "Really, Law?"

"He's annoying." Law turned his attention back to her.

Neo smiled and shook her head. "You two will never change."

"Well, he did allow you to be taken," Shanks said.

"I did not allow that at all!" Law growled.

"Okay, that's enough," Neo said. "Law, Godfather did save me. Godfather, you know Law didn't do anything wrong."

"Fine. Thank you," Law said. "I'm glad you were close enough to help her."

"Any time." Shanks nodded. "And I know you didn't let her go on purpose."

"Neo!" the crew called.

"Hey!" Neo waved to them before turning to her godfather. "Can you stay for a while? Please?"

"I suppose we can," Shanks said. "My crew's probably pretty hungry after that fight."

"Of course. Basil will take care of it," Neo said. "Let's get to the island."

"First I am giving you a full check up," Law said.

Neo nodded. She knew it would do no good to tell him her godfather's doctor already looked her over. Warping into the infirmary, she laid down and waited patiently for Law to check everything with her and their baby. Healer Zinnia came in to assist him then left them alone when the tests were done. When he was finished she said, "Better now?"  
"For the most part."

"What else is there?" Neo tilted her head. "You checked everything. Literally."

"This." Law leaned in and captured her lips before warping off their clothes.

"That was great." Neo pulled on her clothes. "Though I'm sure the others are wondering where we are."

"Not much. The crew knows I was going to give you a very thorough exam." Law zipped up his pants. "They know what that means. And I'm sure they're distracted with getting the food ready."

"And I'm sure they're making their own versions of what happened in here." Neo smirked.

Law shrugged with a smirk of his own. "They can think what they want. We're married after all. We can do that any time we want."

"Yes, we can." Neo sighed.

Law wrapped his arm around her shoulders then warped them to the island. The crews had gathered around a fire. Some were drinking while the two cooks worked on preparing their meal.

"I'd love to ask you to stop worrying us so much, but I know it's not going to happen," Kailen said while giving Neo a hug.

"Sorry, I'll try harder not to in the future," Neo said as more of the crew came up and hugged her. Once the hugging was done they all settled in for the night. The Red Hair Pirates told the Heart Pirates about their fight with Cain and his men and even the women, which the Heart Pirates were disappointed in not seeing. Neo rolled her eyes at them and continued to snuggle against Law.


End file.
